Always With a Gentle Voice
by moments-of-weakness
Summary: Takes place after the end of Season 2, episode 10 "There goes the Neighborhood". Tim Riggins has been kicked out of the Taylor's for helping Julie...follow him as he deals with the fallout and figures out what he'll do...


Slowly she rolls over on the bed, room spinning faster now, as she tries to focus on the voices in the room with her.

Angry voice.

Gentle voice.

It finally registered that the gentle voice belonged to Tim and she painfully realized the angry voice was that of her father.

Julie groaned.

The gentle voice was gone.

She leaned up best she could and mumbled "Daddy..." before falling back on the bed.

"Hey Julie" he said as he walked closer to her, smelling the alcohol and listening for the door to close.

"I won't fall off the bed now."

He hears the door shut knowing now that Riggins is out of his home and Coach wasn't sure he cared where he went. "You what?" Eric Taylor was seething inside by now and trying his best not to yell, knowing it would only make things worse with his obviously inebriated daughter.

"I won't fall off the bed cause Timmy moved my feet on the bed. Oh god Daddy the room is really spinning. Is it supposed to spin this way? Make it stop spinning, please Daddy." She lightly gasped. "Oh, I wasn't supposed to call him Timmy. Said you would know I'd been drinking if I said Timmy around you. And Dad. I'm supposed to call you Dad too. Damn." She rolled over, her head close to the edge of the bed. "I couldn't walk Daddy, so he helped me. And there was a guy. A cute guy. And the guy was getting me more beer but he didn't come back. That's when Timmy brought me home...when he brought me here. I told him Lois likes him. And Aunt Shelly thinks he's cute but he says she's too old for him and he's not doing that again. No more older women for Timmy. He'll wait to find a high school girl his own age. Said I was young. I'm too young. Lois is too young. Aunt Shelly's too old. Mom's way too old. And you're a man so you're no good either. He's nice. He should be in love."

"You know you talk a lot when you drink. Kinda like your mother." Eric picked up a blanket and placed it over her body and grabbed a trash can. He took the full bag out, found an empty bag and placed it in the can, certain his daughter would need it later on. "Julie, there's a trash can beside you hon. If the room spins and you feel sick, you get the trash can and use it if you can't make it to the bathroom. Holler for me or your mom and we'll help. Then in the morning you and I are going to have a little talk okay?" Eric wiped her forehead brushing her hair out of her eyes and wincing inside as he realizes he very well could have jumped to the wrong conclusions with Tim Riggins...a concept that never would have crossed his mind concerning a female, especially not his daughter.

"Yup, we'll talk later Daddy. Please make the room stop spinning before you go to bed." She reached her hand out to her father, he gently grabbed it for a moment and then placed it beside her.

"I would if I could sweetheart but I can't. You'll have to sleep it off." Eric Taylor left his daughter's room, quietly closing the door behind him and then opening it back up again as he realized she might need him before too long. He walked into his bedroom, kissed the baby and sat down on the bed.

She sat up and rubbed his back with the palm of her hand. "Hon, what's the matter."

"Nothing." Anger still thick in his voice.

"Don't nothing me, I heard something, and then I heard the door close. Where's Tim?" Tami was trying to figure it out but her husband was not helping at all.

"Gone." He stood and walked to the bathroom. Closing the door behind him, he walked to the sink, turned on the water and splashed some of it on his face. He knew if he stayed in the bathroom too long his wife would be in the tiny room asking question after question. He took a deep breath, shut off the water after brushing his teeth, and opened the door. Turning out the light he walked back to the bed and sat down once more waiting for the barrage of questions.

"Why is Tim Riggins gone?" she quietly asks, not sure she wants to hear the answer.

He squeezed his eyes shut before answering. "Because I walked into our daughter's room and found him leaning over her as she was lying on the bed. Drunk I might add with her arms wrapped around his neck."

"WHAT?"

"Shh, you'll wake the baby."

"Hell with waking the baby, I'll put her back to sleep. You know what? I told you it was a bad idea for that boy to be in this house with our 16 year old daughter and you said it would be fine. I should be more hospitable, charitable. Hell with hospitable, I am going to kick that boy's ass." Tami sat up in bed and started to stand up.

He stood and blocked her. "No, you're not. I yelled at him as quietly as I could and I told him to get out of the house." He placed his hands on her shoulders and with a gentle nudge, she sat down. Eric knelt in front of her. "Look. After listening to your daughter rambling on and on in her drunken state, I think he was trying to tell me that it wasn't in fact what it looked like and he was helping our daughter instead of trying to take advantage of her. And by the way, do you know your sister has the hots for my high school football player?"

"Yeah, I've known since the first day he was here." She answered nonchalantly. "Anyway, what did she say? Why do you think you were wrong with what you saw and you are not thinking about letting him stay here again right? Right Eric?" She glared at him and he had flashes of bodily harm coming his way if he didn't answer these questions exactly right.

"Well, no, probably not. But I'm not sure I was completely right with the conclusion I made when I saw them in her room. I thought he was literally on top of her but he may have just been moving her on the bed so she didn't fall off. That's what she said he did anyway." He took her hands in his, rubbing them gently trying to calm her down and wondering when exactly he'd calmed down himself.

"Don't you dare patronize me Eric Taylor. I do not want that boy in this house if he is in any way taking advantage of her. How did he end up bringing her home after she was drunk? Where did she get drunk and why was she drunk and why did he take her to get drunk. Dammit Eric, did he get her drunk, take advantage of her and then bring her home like he was a perfect gentleman? Don't think I won't kick that boy's ass."

"I know. I know you can kick his ass and I am pretty sure _he_ knows you can kick his ass. Right now though his ass is outside somewhere and your ass needs to get some sleep." Eric let go of his wife's hands and waited for her to turn and lay down in their bed before moving over to his side. After undressing and laying down in bed beside his wife, he finally tells her they'll talk in the morning.

"Why do we have to wait until the morning?" Tami would not let it go.

"I'm tired. Julie can't talk and I have a feeling she will need one or both of us before too long when she's in the bathroom getting rid of however much she drank tonight. The room was spinning and she wanted her daddy to make it stop."

"Oh, she's_ really_ drunk isn't she? Where the hell did he take her?" She was right when she said she didn't want to wait until morning for the full conversation.

"Last I knew, they were not going to the dance. There was some party tonight before the dance like there always is, so maybe they went there and that's where she was drinking." Eric didn't want to talk anymore but he knew his wife and he knew she wasn't going to stop talking and wait until morning. He prepared himself for more questions with a silent prayer that she would soon give up or Julie would yell for help.

"You were in no way worried. You would have let him stay here as long as he wanted because it 'evened out the genders'. Eric, I swear, you are the most..."

"Moooommm..."

"Oh you are lucky my daughter needs me right now." Tami flung the covers off, swung her legs over the edge of the bed, stood and stomped her way out of their bedroom into Julie's room as Eric contemplated his next move. He started to get out of bed when Shelly stepped into the doorway.

"Don't you dare move. I'll help. You go to sleep because I think you'll need as much sleep as you can get Eric Taylor." Shelley was not going to let her sister and brother-in-law argue while Julie was in her own world of hurt and needed them more than they needed to fight. There was time for that in the morning.

He didn't know where to go. So this time, he parked outside of Tyra's house. Didn't knock, knew he wouldn't be welcomed back into her house, so he slept in his truck...again.

"Tim Riggins, what the hell are you doing out here?" Tyra yelled and started banging on the truck door.

"Ow." he grumbled as he sat up and hit his head on the steering wheel. He rolled down the window once he was sitting up in the cab. "Didn't wanna bother ya Tyra so I slept out here. I'm not hurting anything, I didn't stink up your house, and I'll find somewhere else to sleep tonight." He opened the door and got out of the truck. She shut the door so he walked around to the front of his truck, leaned against it, and waited for questions he knew he had to answer. He noticed her eyes were puffy and asked "you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Just curious. Looks like you've had a rough night of your own is all."

"Yeah, well, I cried."

"Landry?"

"Yeah. How do you know Landry?"

"English."

"Oh yeah, he had to help your screwed up ass pass didn't he?"

"Ha ha. Yeah, and now I read."

She laughed. Loud and hard. "You? You read? Shut up Tim Riggins, you do not read."

"I do. I read, I do my own homework now even."

"Man, living with the Taylors made you a new man."

"Yeah, well, that's over."

"You did _not_ try anything with Julie. So help me if you did I will..." She walked closer him, hand in a fist in the air threatening him.

"Stop. I didn't try anything with Julie Taylor. She got drunk last night at that party after she was playing quarters with _your_Landry. I found her with some guy who was trying to get in her pants so I talked to him and he left. I took her home, she wouldn't stop talking, and then after I took her shoes off, I had to put her up on the bed so she wouldn't fall off. That's of course when she wrapped her arms around my neck and wouldn't let go and then Coach walked in, wouldn't listen to me, and threw me out."

"Did you tell him what happened? Did you stay and try to explain once he was out of Juie's room?"

"Tyra, if I was in that house and Julie wasn't around he would have killed me." Tim saw the disbelief on Tyra's face. "Yeah, I really think he would have killed me. You did not see his face. You did not see the anger in his eyes. The man was not going to listen."

"You had clothes on right?"

"Yes Tyra, my clothes were on, Julie's clothes were on and they stayed on all night thanks to me cause that guy would have had them off of her wherever he could have found an empty bed or couch or car seat." Tim rubbed his eyes with his hands and then ran them through his hair. "What? You're staring at me."

She didn't answer him and simply continued to stare.

"What?"

Now smiling she walked to him and hugged him. "You're a good guy Tim Riggins. I knew ya had it in ya. Didn't realize it would take Julie Taylor to bring it out of ya though."

"Ha. You're funny now let go of me unless of course you still want me."

She backed away from him, smacking his chest for good measure ensuring he knows she's done with him. "You know I don't" she said emphatically while glaring.

"I know."

"Besides, you're more interested in miss Julie Taylor it seems."

"What?"

"Yep, you and Julie. No wonder Coach Taylor was so pissed at ya." Tyra was joking but she wasn't so sure once she saw Tim's reaction.

"Look, I'll find another driveway to sleep in. See ya Tyra." Tim straightened and walked around the truck to the driver's side door and grabbed the handle.

"Tim, stop. I'm sorry. I was pickin', you know that. And you can stay here again if you need to. I'm being hospitable." She honestly wanted him to stay.

He stood, fingers gripping the door handle of his truck, contemplating her offer. "Yeah, maybe. Gotta go to practice. See ya Tyra." Without a second glance he got in his truck, shut the door, and started the ignition. He still didn't know how to react when someone showed kindness to him without needing anything in return other than the possibility of friendship. Tim Riggins hadn't been shown a lot of love and generosity in his lifetime and now it seems to be abundant in his life.

Tim Riggins had to face coach and it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do on a Saturday morning. But there was practice and he was on thin ice even before he was caught in Julie's room. He drove to school and walked into the locker room. By the glares he received from his teammates he figured news had traveled faster than he ever imagined. He opened his locker and took his shirt off.

"Riggins."

He stood still and stared straight ahead. "Yeah seven?"

"I'd like a moment of your time." Matt fought hard to hold back his anger in the locker room in front of his team.

"Sure seven. Lemme dress and I'll be out."

Tim dressed for practice and went in search of Matt, knowing what the conversation would entail. "Seven" he said quietly.

Matt Saracen was QB 1 for the Dillon Panthers and screwed up royally with the coach's daughter. But he'd loved her and after what he'd heard earlier in the locker room he had to put a stop to whatever ideas Tim Riggins had about Julie Taylor...no matter how easily Riggins could kick his ass. People saw him taking her out of the party, knew she was drunk and made assumptions as to what happened after. He turned and stepped as close as he could to number 33. "Riggins, stay the hell away from Julie."

"You, seven, have no right to tell me anything at all about Julie Taylor." Riggins gave it right back but knew he didn't want to fight Saracen. He'd argue all day but he was not going to hit him.

She chose that moment, that morning, to find her father and speak to him. She was about to turn the corner and heard the two voices.

Angry voice.

Gentle voice.

Matt was defending her, even if there was nothing to defend. She almost smiled, realizing Matt still might care about her but any idea she had about being happy about his jealousy left when the sight of Matt kissing Carlotta in his car flashed in her mind. It was over and Tim was correct, Matt had no right.

"I have every right in the world to tell you to stay away from Julie. I know how you are Riggins. I know what you say in the locker room, I know you've been with god knows how many girls and Julie does not need that in her life. She does not need a guy like you in her life so stay the hell away from her." His hand was balled in a fist by his side. He would hit Riggins in a heartbeat...all he had to do was say the wrong words and no one would care. "They won't come to your rescue. They're pissed at you because you've pissed off Coach and screwed up practice. Taking advantage of her...really Tim, thought you had it easier than that with girls. Leave her the hell alone." Matt turned to walk away and cool off but he stopped at the sound of Tim's voice.

"Ya know what Saracen? Julie would not have been nearly as drunk at that party if she hadn't seen you all over your grandma's nurse right in front of her."

Julie could make out the anger on his face around his eyes but Tim Riggins voice sounded as calm as she'd ever heard anyone speak. She felt a tear fall down her cheek realizing it was her fault he didn't have anywhere to go as the cloudy memories of the night before came flooding through her mind.

"It is not my fault you completely took advantage of her."

"You are an idiot Saracen. You had a great girl and ya didn't attempt to fight him for her. She fell in love with you man, and you let her go. You were a complete pushover which only made it seem like you didn't care enough to fight for her, or for her love. You let her go. She's trying to deal with a hell of a lot right now and you threw your new love in her face. Let her go seven." Riggins calmly walked toward the field and the start of practice.

"Its not over Riggins. This is not over." His blood was boiling and it showed through in the anger in his voice as Tim Riggins continued out to the field, ignoring him and his warning.

"Yeah it is Matt" she quietly spoke as she walked closer to the boy she once loved.

"You're taking up for him after what he did to you? Your...your dad takes_him_ in when he wouldn't let _me_ stay if I needed. He takes...takes complete advantage of you while you're, while you're drunk and plans to do god only knows what to you and you're standing here defending him?" Matt looked at her with complete disbelief on his face.

"Wow, you've changed."

He didn't know what to say to that. He _was_different. He could feel it. But she still found a way to get him tongue-tied and flustered. He couldn't respond.

"You are Matt Saracen. QB1 for the Dillon Panthers." She paused a moment before continuing, not sure exactly how much she should tell him, not that he deserved an explanation at all. "He didn't touch me. Well, other than the touching he needed to do to get my drunk ass into the house and in my bed without passing out on the floor. What my dad saw was just that. Tim Riggins helping me onto my bed so I wouldn't fall on the floor. And frankly, it is none of your business what I did or what I might want to do with Tim Riggins. You've got Carlotta and you both seem very happy. Leave Tim alone." She was standing in front of him, hands on her hips when it hit her. She was now officially and completely over Matt Saracen. He could do whatever he wanted with Carlotta and Julie would be fine...eventually. He wasn't the same boy she'd fallen in love with and the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "The world cannot revolve around you and what you want in life. Sorry Matt, you're only a quarterback." She turned and walked back to the school building where she was going to wait to speak to her father...or to Tim.

Practice was hell for number 33 but it was exactly what Tim expected. Coach rode him hard and he was thankful it wasn't as tough as it could have been. He ordered Riggins to run laps after practice...33 to be exact. By lap 18 he was thankful his number was 33 and not 54 or something worse. He walked slowly to the locker room he assumed was now empty which didn't bother him one tiny bit. He was in no shape to have another confrontation with any of his teammates about how tough practice was because of him and what he may or may not have done with Julie Taylor.

She heard his footsteps and remained seated on the ground and leaning against the brick wall. "Hey"

He jumped. "Shit. What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? You have _got_ to be kidding me. What am_ I_ doing _here_?" She stood. "I am here to see you. What am I doing here...and to think you called Matt an idiot earlier."

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to talk to me Jules. And I probably shouldn't call you Jules anymore either."

"I like it" she blurted out.

He finally raised his eyes to look at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Tim let out a deep sigh. He didn't realize he'd been holding his breath. "Uh, your dad here?"

"No, he left."

"Oh."

She shifted her weight back and forth, realizing this was the most uncomfortable she'd been in Tim Riggins' presence since the morning her father found him asleep in his truck in front of their house. She fumbled around for the right words and the more she thought about what she might say, the more angry she felt. "Why did you tell Matt all of that stuff about me? That he was the reason I was drunk and he was stupid? Why would you do that?" She hadn't meant to yell. She had just been sitting there so long and she'd had yet another conversation with her father trying to explain, not sure he even heard a word she said, so once Tim finally finished his laps she had enough time to think about everything ending up rather ticked.

He lowered his head, took a breath and let out a defeated sigh. "I came to practice today because I'm part of the team again and I do_not_ want to screw that up. I thought your father might have thought it was a good thing if I showed up and maybe wouldn't be so damn hard and eventually I can explain what happened." He was messing with his helmet and still not making any sort of eye contact. "I gotta shower and change. Maybe I'll see you around school Monday." He started to walk around her and she stopped him by stepping in front of him blocking his way. "Julie, come on."

Angry voice.

Defeated voice.

His daughter thought he left. He knew the gasoline and the match were too close together and he couldn't possibly leave. So Coach Taylor got in his vehicle after his conversation with his daughter, moved it around the school and quietly made his way back to the locker room, out of sight but he made sure to be within earshot. He knew the instant he told his daughter to stay away from Riggins, she'd go running to him. Now he would find out exactly what had happened in her room the night before.

"No, I am not moving. You have to answer me Tim. Why did you say those things to Matt? You had no right at all to do that even if it was the truth. It's my truth to tell him, not yours." She wanted to throw something but didn't feel like bending over and picking up a rock. She was too busy glaring at the top of Tim Riggins' soaking wet head. "You aren't even listening to me are you? Is this what you do? You screw up and then ignore everyone but big bad Tim Riggins, right?"

He raised his head and looked into her eyes. "Julie. No, it's not like that. Why do I feel like that's all I'm saying to anyone this year? I'm tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of arguing. Tired of getting yelled at when all I'm trying to do is help. I don't even really like to help people but I have been and it's nice. As for Matt, I told him what I thought you never would and he needs to know."

"But you didn't have to tell him absolutely every single thing I may have ever mentioned or that you thought I might feel. You don't know me Tim Riggins. You don't know me at all and you had no right." She wasn't sure why she was still yelling anymore. Julie wasn't even sure what she was saying or if she meant it at all.

He stared at Julie Taylor like she had two heads atop her shoulders. "Sorry" was all he said, all he had left to say if she was going to stand there and continue yelling at him. Tim Riggins was letting a girl get the best of him and he had no idea why.

She knew she went too far but she also knew the stubborn streak in her wouldn't let her apologize. Speaking in a calmer voice, she continues. "I guess I didn't mean to yell at you. I should be thanking you for getting me home safely last night." She scrunched up her face. "What exactly did I say? Oh god, or do?"

He grinned. "Nah, nothing to worry about Jules. You just rambled on like most people do when they're drunk. And by the way, can you please not play quarters again? You think you're pretty good but really, you're not all that great. Otherwise you would have been sober and that guy wouldn't have been trying to get in your pants. Oh, by the way, I took care of that for ya. He might not ever look at you again though."

"What did you do to him?"

"I didn't _do_ a thing. Just had a little conversation with him, and explained you were not going anywhere with him or doing anything with him last night.

"Now you sound like my father."

He laughed. He couldn't help but laugh when she stood there and compared him to Coach.

Gentle voice.

Soft voice.

Coach Taylor knew he shouldn't have been listening. He also knew deep down Tim Riggins didn't do anything inappropriate last night with his daughter. She was heartbroken and he was the guy that took care of her because it was not a job for her father. Eric knew now that Tim was only trying to protect his daughter. Someday he might have to worry about Tim Riggins and how close he might be getting to Julie but for now he knew it was okay. He still planned on giving him his 33 extra laps for a week and would still give him grief during practice. Coach Eric Taylor had softened toward this young man and as he walked away from the two and back to his vehicle, he toyed with the idea of letting him stay at the house again...after he'd suffered a good long week.

Tim and Julie talked a while longer outside the locker room where she later stayed while he showered inside. They got into his truck and he took her to get something to eat before taking her back home.

"Maybe you should let me off down the street and I can walk to the house."

"Yeah, probably a good idea."

She looked at him, his hand on the steering wheel staring straight ahead. "You never like looking into anyone's eyes do you?"

"Not really."

"Yeah. Someday that will change Tim. It's good to look at people longer than just a glance, and let them inside. Thanks for the food and I'll see you at school on Monday." Julie looked at him once more and grinned when she saw he was looking back at her. "See ya."

"See ya Jules" he said with a smile as she opened the door and got out of the truck.

As she shut the door she glanced back, grinned, and waved before making her way down the road to her house. Tim pulled away from the curb, turned the truck around and smiled a genuine smile as he made his way back to Tyra's house where he knew he'd be spending the night in his truck unless her sister was home and feeling charitable. He was still smiling as he realized it didn't much matter because he knew he had people in his life that cared. People actually gave a damn about Tim Riggins and it was something he was certain he could get used to even if it took close to forever to accept.


End file.
